Cancer is currently the second leading cause of death in developed nations. In 2004, the American Cancer Society estimated that approximately 1.37 million new cases were diagnosed in the U.S. alone, and approximately 550,000 deaths occurred due to cancer (American Cancer Society, Cancer Facts & Figures 2004, see URL: http://www.cancer.org/docroot/STT/stt—0.asp).
Metastasis, the spread and growth of tumor cells to distant organs, is the most devastating attribute of cancer. Most morbidity and mortality associated with certain types of cancer, such as breast cancer, is associated with disease caused by metastatic cells rather than by the primary tumor. Therapy for metastasis currently relies on a combination of early diagnosis and aggressive treatment of the primary tumor.
The establishment and growth of metastases at distant sites is thought to depend on interactions between tumor cells and the host environment. Metastasis is the result of several sequential steps and represents a highly organized, non-random and organ-selective process. Although a number of mediators have been implicated in the metastasis of breast cancer, the precise mechanisms determining the directional migration and invasion of tumor cells into specific organs remain to be established. An incomplete understanding of the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying metastasis has hindered the development of effective therapies that would eliminate or ameliorate this condition.
Several strategies have been developed to reduce metastatic invasion of malignant cells by regulating adhesion of endothelial cells with antibodies or adhesion molecules (see for example, PCT Publication No. WO 97/00956, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,993,817; 6,433,149; 6,475,488; and 6,358,915). However no commercial strategy has provided an effective treatment to prevent metastasis:
Chemokines are a superfamily of small cytokines that induce, through their interaction with G-protein-coupled receptors, cytoskeletal rearrangements and directional migration of several cell types (Butcher, et al. (1999) Adv Immunol 72: 209-253; Campbell and Butcher (2000) Curr Opin Immunol 12: 336-341; Zlotnik and Yoshie (2000) Immunity 12: 121-127). These secreted proteins act in a coordinated fashion with cell-surface proteins to direct the homing of various subsets of cells to specific anatomical sites (Motales, et al. (1999) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 96: 14470-14475; Homey, B., et al. (2000) J Immunol 164: 3465-3470; Peled, et al. (1999) Science 283: 845-848; Forster, et al. (1999) Cell 99: 23-33).
Chemokines are considered to be principal mediators in the initiation and maintenance of inflammation. They have also been found to play an important role in the regulation of endothelial cell function, including proliferation, migration and differentiation during angiogenesis and re-endothelialization after injury (Gupta et al. (1998) J Biol Chem, 7:4282-4287). Two specific chemokines have also been implicated in the etiology of infection by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
The chemokine receptor, CXCR4, is known in viral research as a major coreceptor for the entry of T cell line-tropic HIV (Feng, et al. (1996) Science 272: 872-877; Davis, et al. (1997) J Exp Med 186: 1793-1798; Zaitseva, et al. (1997) Nat Med 3: 1369-1375; Sanchez, et al. (1997) J Biol Chem 272: 27529-27531). T Stromal cell derived factor 1 (SDF-1) is a chemokine that interacts specifically with CXCR4. When SDF-1 binds to CXCR4, CXCR4 activates Gαi-protein-mediated signaling (pertussis toxin-sensitive) (Chen, et al. (1998) Mol Pharmacol 53: 177-181), including downstream kinase pathways such as Ras/MAP Kinases and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt in lymphocyte, megakaryocytes, and hematopoietic stem cells (Bleul, et al. (1996) Nature 382: 829-833; Deng, et al. (1997) Nature 388: 296-300; Kijowski, et al. (2001) Stem Cells 19: 453-466; Majka, et al. (2001) Folia. Histochem. Cytobiol. 39: 235-244; Sotsios, et al. (1999) J. Immunol. 163: 5954-5963; Vlahakis, et al. (2002) J. Immunol. 169: 5546-5554). In mice transplanted with human lymph nodes, SDF-1 induces CXCR4-positive cell migration into the transplanted lymph node (Blades, et al. (2002) J. Immunol. 168: 4308-4317). These results imply that the interaction between SDF-1 and CXCR4 directs cells to the organ sites with high levels of SDF-1.
Recently, studies have shown that CXCR4 interactions may regulate the migration of metastatic cells. Hypoxia, a reduction in partial oxygen pressure, is a microenvironmental change that occurs in most solid tumors and is a major inducer of tumor angiogenesis and therapeutic resistance. Hypoxia increases CXCR4 levels (Staller, et al. (2003) Nature 425: 307-311). Microarray analysis on a sub-population of cells from a bone metastatic model with elevated metastatic activity showed that one of the genes increased in the metastatic phenotype was CXCR4. Furthermore, overexpression CXCR4 in isolated cells significantly increased the metastatic activity (Kang, et al. (2003) Cancer Cell 3: 537-549). In samples collected from various breast cancer patients, Muller et al. (Muller, et al. (2001) Nature 410: 50-56) found that CXCR4 expression level is higher in primary tumors relative to normal mammary gland or epithelial cells. These results suggest that the expression of CXCR4 on cancer cell surfaces may direct the cancer cells to sites that express high levels of SDF-1. Consistent with this hypothesis, SDF-1 is highly expressed in the most common destinations of breast cancer metastasis including lymph nodes, lung, liver, and bone marrow. Moreover, CXCR4 antibody treatment has been shown to inhibit metastasis to regional lymph nodes when compared to control isotypes that all metastasized to lymph nodes and lungs (Muller, et al. (2001)).
In addition to regulating migration of cancer cells, CXCR4-SDF-1 interactions may regulate vascularization necessary for metastasis. Blocking either CXCR4/SDF-1 interaction or the major G-protein of CXCR4/SDF-1 signaling pathway (Gαi) inhibits VEGF-dependent neovascularization. These results indicate that SDF-1/CXCR4 controls VEGF signaling systems that are regulators of endothelial cell morphogenesis and angiogenesis. Numerous studies have shown that VEGF and MMPs actively contribute to cancer progression and metastasis.
Several groups have identified chemokines including CXCR4 as a target for treatment of metastatic cancers. For example, PCT Publication Nos. WO 01/38352 to Schering Corporation, WO 04/059285 to Protein Design Labs, Inc., and WO 04/024178 to Burger generally describe methods of treating diseases and specifically inhibiting metastasis by blocking chemokine receptor signaling.
Compounds targeting CXCR4 have been developed primarily for treatment of HIV because CXCR4 is a major coreceptor for T-tropic HIV infection. For example, U.S. Pat. No: 6,429,308 to Hisamitsu Pharmaceutical Co., Inc. discloses an antisense oligonucleotide that inhibits the expression of the CXCR4 protein for use as an anti-HIV agent. PCT Publication No. WO 01/56591 to Thomas Jefferson University describes peptide fragments of viral macrophage inflammatory protein II which are described as selectively preventing CXCR4 signal transduction and coreceptor function in mediating entry of HIV-1.
Peptide antagonists of CXCR4 receptors have been disclosed. Tamamura et al (Tamamura, et al. (2000) Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett. 10: 2633-2637; Tamamura, et al. (2001) Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett. 11: 1897-1902) reported the identification of a specific peptide-based CXCR4 inhibitor, T140. T140 is a 14-residue peptide that possesses anti-HIV activity and antagonism of T cell line-tropic HIV-1 entry among all antagonists of CXCR4 (Tamamura, et al. (1998) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 253: 877-882). The compound was altered to increase its efficacy and bioavailability by, for example, amidating the C-terminal of T-140 and reducing the total positive charges by substituting basic residues with nonbasic polar amino acids to generate TN14003, which is less cytotoxic and more stable in serum compared to T140. The concentration of TN14003 required for 50% protection of HIV-induced cytopathogenicity in MT-4 cells is 0.6 nM in contrast to 410 μM leading to 50% toxicity. PCT Publication No. WO 04/087068 to Emory University describes CXCR4 peptide antagonists, particularly TN14003, and methods of their use to treat metastasis.
Other peptide-based antagonists have also been disclosed. For example, European Patent Publication Nos. 1 286 684 and 1 061 944 to the University Of British Columbia cover methods of treatment of diseases, including metastasis, using modified peptide CXCR4 antagonists derived from the native SDF-1 ligand. PCT Publication No. WO 04/020462 to Takeda Chemical Industries, Ltd. provides peptide CXCR4 antagonists for treatment and prevention of breast cancer and chronic rheumatoid arthritis. U.S. Patent Application No. 2004/0132642 to the U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services in part covers methods of inhibiting metastasis or growth of a tumor cell with a polypeptide CXCR4 inhibitor.
Although advances have been made, inadequate absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion or toxicity properties of peptide inhibitors have limited their clinical uses. Small non-peptide drugs remain as a major goal of medicinal chemistry programs in this area.
At the present time, the metal-chelating cyclams and bicyclams represent one of the few reported non-peptide molecules to effectively block CXCR4 (Onuffer and Horuk (2002) Trends Pharmacol Sci 23: 459-467.36). One of these non-peptide molecules is AMD3100, which entered clinical trials as an anti-HIV drug that blocks CXCR4-mediated viral entry (Donzella, et al. (1998) Nat Med 4: 72-77; Hatse, et al. (2002) FEBS Lett 527: 255-262; Fujii, et al. (2003) Expert Opin Investig Drugs 12: 185-195; Schols, et al. (1997) Antiviral Res 35: 147-156).
It has not been reported whether AMD3100 can efficiently block breast cancer metastasis, modulated via CXCR4. More importantly, a clinical study showed cardiac-related side effect of AMD3100 (Scozzafava, et al. (2002) J Enzyme Inhib Med Chem 17: 69-7641). In fact, AMD3100, was recently withdrawn from the clinical trials due in part to a cardiac-related side effect (Hendrix, et al. (2004) Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes 37(2)). The latter was not a result of the compound's ability to block CXCR4 function, but due to its presumed structural capacity for encapsulating metals.
Other nitrogen containing bicyclic molecules have been developed as CXCR4 antagonists. European Patent Publication No. 1 431 290 and PCT Publication No. WO 02/094261 to Kureha Chemical Industry Co., Ltd cover CXCR4 inhibitors that are potentially useful in treating various diseases including cancer metastatic disease.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2004/0254221 to Yamamazi, et al. also provides compounds and use thereof to treat various diseases including cancer metastasis that are CXCR4 antagonists. The compounds are of the general formula:
in which A is A1-G1-N(R1)—; A1 is hydrogen or an optionally substituted, mono- or polycyclic, heteroaromatic or aromatic ring; G1 is a single bond or —C(R2)(R3)—; R1, R2, and R3 can be optionally substituted hydrocarbon groups; W is an optionally substituted hydrocarbon or heterocyclic ring; x is —(═O)NH—; y is —(═O—; and D1 is hydrogen atom, alkyl with a polycyclic aromatic ring, or amine.
PCT Publication No. WO 00/56729 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,750,348 to AnorMED and describe certain heterocyclic small molecule CXCR4 binding compounds, teaching that these are useful for the treatment of HIV infection, tumerogenesis, psoriasis or allergy. The compounds are of the general formula:
in which W can be a nitrogen or carbon atom; Y is absent or is hydrogen; R1 to R7 can be hydrogen or straight, branched or cyclic C1-6 alkyl; R8 is a substituted heterocyclic or aromatic group; Ar is an aromatic or heteroaromatic ring; and X is specified ring structure.
PCT Publication No. WO 2004/091518 to AnorMED also describes certain substituted nitrogen containing compounds that bind to CXCR4 receptors. The compounds are described as having the effect of increasing progenitor cells and/or stem cells; enhancing production of white blood cells, and exhibiting antiviral properties. PCT Publication No. WO 2004/093817 to AnorMED also discloses substituted heterocyclic CXCR4 antagonists which are described as useful to alleviate inflammatory conditions and elevate progenitor cells, as well as white blood cell counts. Similarly, PCT Publication No. WO 2004/106493 to AnorMED describes heterocyclic compounds that bind to CXCR4 and CCR5 receptors consisting of a core nitrogen atom surrounded by three pendant groups, wherein two of the three pendant groups are preferably benzimidazolyl methyl and tetrahydroquinolyl, and the third pendant group contains nitrogen and optionally contains additional rings. The compounds demonstrate protective effects against infections of target cells by a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
In light of the fact that the CXCR4 receptor is implicated in metastatic signaling as well as a number of other pathogenic conditions, it is important to identify new effective receptor antagonists.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide new compounds, methods and compositions that inhibit CXCR4 receptor signaling.
It is another object of the invention to provide compounds, methods and compositions that bind to the CXCR4 receptor and interfere with binding to its native ligand.
It is a more specific object of the invention to provide compound, methods and compositions for treatment of proliferative disorders, and in particular, for the inhibition of cancer metastases.